Chilean priest guilty of abuse dismissed from clerical state

Pope Francis has decreed, without recourse to appeal, the dismissal from the clerical state of Cristián Precht Bañados, who was found guilty of abuse of minors in 2012.

The Santiago archdiocese stated Sept. 15 that Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctine of the Faith, had notified the archdiocese that day of the Sept. 12 laicization.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had found Precht guilty of abuse in 2012.

After Precht was found guilty, he was prohibited from “exercising priestly public ministry for a period of five years, leaving to the bishop the power to extend the indicated period for the time he considers appropriate,” according to a December 2012 statement of the Archdiocese of Santiago.

At that time, Precht was also put under a “prohibition from administering the sacrament of confession and giving spiritual direction young people and minors,” and was ordered to “live a life of prayer and penance.”

He was also required to obtain a place of residence approved by Church authorities and had to request permission to travel abroad. Failure to adhere to the norms could bring further sanctions, the archdiocese stated at the time.

The accusations against Precht, who is now in his late 70s, were made in 2011.

The result of the penal process established “the verification of the mentioned abusive conduct and agreement with the request to repeal the prescription, in consideration of the gravity of the reported incidents.”

Precht defended human rights during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinchot. He was one of the founders of the Vicariate for Solidarity, an institution created to aid victims of the regime.

He was also one of the founders, in 1991, of the youth ministry organization Vicariate of Hope for Youths.

Chilean officials have in recent months been raiding offices of Catholic institutions as part of an investigation into sexual crimes against minors committed by members of the Church.